Pokemon Fanfic: Alaula
by TerriBerriify
Summary: Ethan runs into his childhood friend whom he hasn't seen for two years, and gets a nasty surprise!


"My name is Alaula. It's been a long time."

The boy recoiled in shock, his Marilll chirping beside him.

"I-It has." He said finally.

The girl nodded gently, hesitating. Finally, she removed the black cap she wore as part of her uniform, revealing her eyes and hair. It hadn't grown much since they'd last seen each other. The boy glared suddenly, remembering his anger.

"Why? Why _you?_ The last I saw of you, you were off to college."

Alaula's Quilava growled slightly, realising the danger they were in. She hushed it before she replied.

"I didn't have a choice."

"You always have a choice!"

"Fine. What would you have done? Joined them, or let them take Quilava away?"

The boy fell into an angry silence, but at the same time understanding.

"Give me the Pokeballs, and I'll pretend I never saw you."

She hesitated, unsure of what to do, before giving up. She took four pokeballs from her belt and held them out for the boy to take. As he put his hand on them, she held onto him.

"It was nice seeing you again... Ethan. Under better circumstances, we might've been able to catch up."

Letting him go, she turned swiftly, replacing her cap, and walked away. Ethan watched her leave with a heavy heart before turning back towards town, ready to return the Pokémon to their owners.

**7 Years Ago**

A young girl sat on her bed, excited, hugging her father with delight. Today was her tenth birthday, and her father had promised her her first Pokémon.

"Remember, Lau-Lau, I can't personally get you your first Pokémon. You have to do that on your own." Her father reminded her, a Cyndaquil resting on his knee, "I'll let you borrow my Cyndaquil. You remember what I showed you?"

Alaula nodded gleefully and jumped off the bed, "Come on, Cyndaquil! We've gotta catch me a Pokémon!"

"_Cyyynda~!"_

The two ran outside, heading for a patch of tall grass, pokeball in hand. Alaula took one step, curious. This was the first time she had ever been allowed in the tall grass, and she had to keep focused.

Turning at the call of her father's Pokémon, she spotted the Pidgey it was watching.

"Here goes nothing. Cyndaquil! Use Tackle!"

It obeyed her order instantly, running forwards and bashing into its newfound foe. Taking a peck or two, it waited for Alaula's call.

"Again, Cyndaquil!"

Once again, it obeyed, charging at the bird Pokémon. Cyndaquil returned to Alaula's side as it fell to the ground, fainted. In one swift movement, Alaula threw the pokeball, which caught the Pidgey once and for all. She stared in awe as the ball returned to her, holding her first ever Pokémon.

"Wow~!" she exclaimed with delight, almost squealing, "We did it!"

Reaching down, she picked up her father's Pokémon and hugged it.

"Thanks Cyndaquil! You're the best!"

With a grin, Alaula carried him home to show her father.

"Hi daddy! Look it, I have a Pokémon!"

"Woah there Lau-Lau, that must have been a world record! Come here, let's heal the Pokémon."

As they were being healed, she went into a fully detailed account on what happened.

"A Pidgey, eh? Do you know what they evolve into Lau?"

"A Pidgeotto?"

Her father smiled proudly as he opened her pokeball, allowing the Pidgey to walk freely about the house. It flapped its wings a few times, evidently not happy of its sudden change in area, before it calmed down a bit. Feeding it, the Pidgey relaxed and finally fell asleep. Alaula grinned, before turning and playing with Cyndaquil. Her father watched her, smiling fondly and thoughtfully.

"Alaula?"

She looked up curiously.

"Yes daddy?"

He paused for a moment, before kneeling beside her, "Would you like to keep Cyndaquil?"

She smiled widely.

"Oh would I!"

Passing her the pokeball and kissing her forehead, her father sat with her while she squealed in delight, hugging her second Pokémon to her chest.

It wasn't long before Alaula's father agreed to let her go to School, and let her learn more about being a Pokémon Trainer. To make sure she'd be ok, he asked a neighbour if their son would go with her, as he already went to the school.

"Hi!" Alaula grinned, running up to her neighbour. He was only about a year older than her, with black hair and a vivid red jumper. Beside him was a Marill, a water Pokémon.

"Hey! I saw you catch that Pidgey the other day. Pretty good for a beginner."

"Thanks! Oh, my name is Alaula, but daddy just calls me Lau-Lau."

He nodded in greeting, "My name is Ethan. Come on, let's get going!"

**4 Years Ago**

"Marill! Tackle!"

"_Mariiil~!"_

"Cyndaquil! Quick-Attack!"

"_Cyyynda~!"_

Ethan gave a sly grin, one which always made Alaula shudder.

"Marill! Water Gun!"

Alaula gasped as her prized Cyndaquil collapsed because of the move. Annoyed now, she reached into her bag and pulled out a pokeball.

"Go, Pidgey! Use Gust!"

Ethan took a shocked step back as his Pokemon was thrown into the air and landed on the ground, unconscious.

"Marill!" He ran to his Pokémon's side. Alaula came over, Cyndaquil lying limp in her arms. Ethan scowled.

"Don't give me that look, you had the advantage. Water against fire. Besides, I've always said you should catch another Pokémon."

Ethan could never stay mad at her for long, and smiled as he stood up, Marill now in its pokeball.

"I guess you're right! I just keep forgetting that I'm meant to be catching Pokémon and think I have to train Marill more."

The two headed towards the lab nearby. Inside was Professor Elm, though he was busy talking to his assistant.

"Good morning Professor."

"Yes, Yes, Good day kids." The man said, flustered. The pair laughed quietly as he walked into a bookcase. Leaving him to his business, they healed their Pokémon at the machine on Elm's desk, and headed back outside.

"You can borrow my Pidgey if you want. To catch a Pokémon I mean."

"Why would I need to borrow her for?"

"Well, in case Marill is too strong and ends up scaring it off."

Ethan shook his head, "Thanks, but it's ok. It's me and Marill forever."

"_Marill~!"_

Alaula paused, thinking, "We'll be forever too right? Best Friends?"

"Duh." Ethan replied, grinning, as he held out his little finger. Alaula smiled, shaking it with her own to seal the promise.

**2 Years Ago**

"Ethan... Ethan!"

The teenager grunted, opening his eyes a little. A familiar face stood over him, but it was way too early for him not to shout in shock. The girl winced, before laughing as her friend sat up in bed.

"You Snorlax, it's 11am already. Don't tell me I have to DRAG you out."

"S'early." Ethan replied closing his eyes.

"S'late." Lau retorted, hands on her hips. Ethan opened his eyes and noticed the new dress she was wearing. Putting two and two together he jolted upwards and toppled out of bed.

"You got in?" He asked in shock, standing finally. When she smiled gleefully he gave her a hug well done. He wasn't shy to that fact he was here in his pyjamas' with Alaula in his room. He found it hard to be anything but happy with Alaula around.

"Your dad always said you were an early bloomer."

"Yeah well, I don't need your dad to tell me that you're always late." She grinned as he gave her a joke glare, before shooing her so he could get dressed.

Alaula had applied for a place in a Pokemon college, somewhere up north. It was a long way from home, so her dad was moving out there too. This, of course, got Ethan down, but he stayed happy for Alaula.

"When's the bus leaving?"

Alaula coughed slightly, before biting her lip.

"Tonight."

Trying to hide how taken aback he was, Ethan came up with an idea.

"Well then. Since this is the last day here let's spend the morning outside."

"But I've got to pack..."

"I know. That's why, in the afternoon, I'll help you get everything packed."

Smiling, he held out his little finger, and they shook promise for the last time.

"I'll send you mail every week, I promise." Alaula said as they sat in her lounge, tired from their walk, "I heard someone was moving in here?"

"Yeah, some girl. I don't know, I think she's our age. It's not going to be the same though." He gave a sad grin, finally giving into his feelings. "Really going to miss you, Lau."

"Aww, I'll miss you too." She leaned over to hug him when there was a honk from outside and her father called. Ethan helped her with the luggage, and waved goodbye as the bus drove away. He stood there, a long time after the bus had disappeared from view.

**Present Day**

"Thank you so much, young man!"

"Oh it was my pleasure, really." Ethan smiled as the kidnapped Pokémon were returned to their owners.

"_Maril..."_ his Pokémon snuggled into his shoulder, upset by the previous turn of events.

"It's ok buddy." Ethan said quietly as they head off towards the next town after stocking up on supplys, "I doubt it could have been her. We were imagining it."

"_Marill~?"_ The mouse-like creature sighed in realization that its owner wasn't taking it well either. It wasn't long before Ethan had to sit down, and began to wallow in self pity. Marill tried it's best to cheer him up, but it wasn't feeling that much better.

"It can't have been her." He muttered repeatedly, staring into space. Light around them faded fast, and Marill decided it had had enough. Giving up on trying to get Ethan to come with it, Marill ran off, trying to find a scent.

"Hey, what's that?"

Alaula turned as a colleague of hers, wearing a black uniform with a big red R on the front, pointed into the forest. She sighed angrily.

"Are you jumping at your shadow again, you idiot?"

"Shhh!" He grinned and pointed again, and finally Lau noticed it. A small roundish shape, waiting and watching them. Lau gasped in shock, recognizing it at once.

"You stay here. I'll go get it."

"What, and let you get all the glory? No way, move aside sister." He froze as a menacing growl reached his ears. Quilava stood before him, blocking his path. "You win." He muttered as he turned, shuffling away.

"Marill?"

"_Mariiiil~!"_ With a bound it ran off through the forest.

"H-Hey!" Not thinking, Lau ran after it, Quilava right behind her, "Marill wai-!"

She skidded into the road to come upon the confused Pokémon, sniffing at a bag.

"That's Ethan's bag... Then where's-... Pidgeotto, I choose you!" She thrust her pokeball into the air and let the bird fly out. "Pidgeotto, find Ethan! And quickly!"

"_Pidgeeeot~!"_

It flew high, scanned the area for a moment, before screeching and zooming off, Alaula following beneath it. Not long after, they heard Ethan shout and curse loudly from in front of them, and Pidgeotto looked on distressed.

"Pidgeotto, go help him!" Alaula shouted, before looking at Marill. "Ethan might be in a lot of trouble. Will you do as I say?"

"_Marilll~!"_

That answered that question. With a smile, they broke through to the clearing, and their faces fell. Ethan sat crouched in the clearing, trying to defend himself from attack Spearow, Pidgeotto fending them off as much as it could.

"Quilava, Maril – distract them!" Alaula ordered, practically throwing herself down the steep hill that stood before her and Ethan, "Ethan, Move!"

Ethan wasn't listening. Or more, he was refusing to.

_It wasn't her, can't have been her…._ He sobbed, clutching his head. Slowly, he noticed the Spearow had gone, and a shadow now loomed over him. He didn't look up – he didn't need to. He could see her Pokémon, sat a little distance away, watching intently. He averted his gaze to the ground as she knelt down.

"…Ethan?"

He kept silent, but gulped. He was panting.

Alaula sighed.

"You're such an _idiot_." She scowled. After a little while he sat up a little bit more, but still didn't look at her.

"I always was late."

From the conrner of his eye, he could see a hint of a smile appeared on her face.

"Quilava? Light a fire, would you? And Pidgeotto, go get Ethans things."

He lifted his head and blinked at her. "You really don't-"

"Oh shut up." She snapped suddenly. He blinked more as he noticed she was crying. "You could've got hurt. You probably are hurt!"

"And why should you care?" He snapped back, frowning.

"Oh _please_!" She rolled her eyes, and sniffed. "Just because I left for college doesn't mean I didn't think about you!" She paused for a moment, realising how that sounded. Ethan gulped slightly, still catching his breath.

"You're hurt."

She looked down, and winced. Her uniform was in ruins, and where flesh was visible through the rips were bloody scratches.

"I'm fine." She told him, too proud to let him care over her. As Pidgeotto returned with Ethan's bag, Alaula took a cloth from it. Asking Maril to wet it for her, she dabbed gently at Ethan's cuts. Well. Gently isn't exactlt the right word.

"OW!"

"Oh shut up, you big cry baby!" She shook her head, "What even happened?"

"Urrh..." Not wanting to sound stupid, he made up a story, "I was, um... just sitting... idly... and I let Marill wander off and... Spearow attacked?"

Alaula looked at Maril, who rolled it's eyes. Shaking her head again, she went back to tending his wounds, though much softer this time.

"I missed you."

She recoiled suddenly at the sadness of his voice. Another tear reached her eye, and she smiled.

"I missed you too."


End file.
